Neo-Macedonia
=The Holy Catholic Hegemony of South Africa= The Holy Catholic Hegemony of Neo-Macedonia is a massive, environmentally stunning nation, remarkable for its devotion to social welfare. Its compassionate, cynical population are ruled without fear or favor by a psychotic dictator, who outlaws just about everything and refers to the populace as "my little playthings." It is difficult to tell where the omnipresent, moralistic government stops and the rest of society begins, but it devotes most of its attentions to Religion & Spirituality, with areas such as Healthcare and Social Equality receiving almost no funds by comparison. The private sector is almost wholly made up of enterprising fourteen-year-old boys selling lemonade on the sidewalk, although the government is looking at stamping this out. Crime -- especially youth-related -- is totally unknown, thanks to the all-pervasive police force and progressive social policies in education and welfare. Neo-Macedonia's national animal is the Fish, which is also the nation's favorite main course, and its currency is the Latinum. =Overview of the Hegemony= Brief Overview: The Holy Catholic Hegemony of Neo-Macedonia is a devout nation. The Hegemony is ruled with an iron fist by what can be considered by all accounts, a fascist dictatorship. The nation's culture, laws, and custom stem from the Catholic faith, more precisely the Genesian Catholic faith. Genesian dogma is much like the dogma of the Roman Catholic church within the time period of the crusades and the Spanish inquisition. Heretics are burnt at the stake and the view of the church is considered law, to which the State carries out with complete obedience. The people of the Hegemony are a wide assortment of devout Genesian Catholics, many of whom come from once thriving but now dead Genesian nations elsewhere. Though many who do not believe in the Genesian faith would judge a nation like the Hegemony as cruel and rash, those who are devoted to the faith believe it to be a paradise on earth. =The Government= The Monarchy The Sacred Queen The Sacred Queen is the monarch of the Holy Catholic Hegemony. Though historically the Sacred Queen has had full executive authority of the country, now she fills a mostly ceremonial and spiritual role, having no power in the government. Historically each Sacred Queen has been believed to be spiritually connected to the last, but having no blood ties to her successors or those who came before her, with each Sacred Queen being selected instead from the Sisterhood of Mary. However, with the birth of the Hegemony and the role of the Sacred Queen being that of a ceremonial one, the Sacred Queen instead comes from the Papal bloodline of dos Santos Aveiro-Medici. * The Queens Full title is: Her Royal Virgin Majesty the Sacred Queen of the Hegemony, Protector of the Holy Genesian Catholic Church of South Africa, Bearer of the Prophecies of Alexander, Eternal Sister to the sisterhood of Mary, Matriarch of the Noble Conclave, and blessed Mother to the South African people. * For a complete list of all the rulers to date, Please see Monarchs of Neo-Macedonia The Sisterhood of Mary: The Sisterhood of Mary is a nunnery whose establishment was originally designed for the sole purpose of providing an heir for the thrown. The sisters of the order model themselves after the Virgin Mother Mary. They are seen with great respect in the eyes of the populace. Sisters of the order can be distinguished by the veils which they constantly wear and are so thick that no one can see their faces. It is actually against the law to see a Sister's face. The order is head by a sister-superior of whom is the right-hand of the Sacred Queen and was historically the Sacred Queen's heir. However, since the Sacred Queen's role is now ceremonial as well as her now being from a single bloodline, the Sisterhood's role has also changed. Though they still service the Queen, they have little power or influence beyond that. Executive Branch The Chancellor It has only come in recent time that the Hegemony be led by an elected official. Instead of a King or Queen as has been traditional throughout the Hegemony's history, the current government is headed by an elected Chancellor. Elected by the National Assembly, the chancellor takes the duties similar to that of any elected official. The Chancellor is head of most of the daily activities of the Hegemony and chair to the Upper house of the Hegemonmy Parliament, the National Assembly. No measure of Parliament or of any Ministry within the Chancellery can pass without the Chancellor's approval. The Hegemon Chancellery The Hegemon Chancellery consists of the major Ministries of the Hegemony whose task vary from Ministry to Ministry. Each Minister is elected from the ruling party of the National Assembly as is confirm by the Chancellor. Ministers can be replaced at anytime by either a vote from the National Assembly or at the complete discretion of the Chancellor. Ministries of the Hegemon Chancellery * Hegemon State Ministry * Hegemon Primate * Hegemon Inquisition * Hegemon Foreign Ministry * Hegemon Health Ministry * Hegemon Defense Ministry * Hegemon Treasury Ministry * Hegemon Commerce Ministry * Hegemon Education Ministry * Hegemon Transportation Ministry * Hegemon Energy Ministry Legislative Branch The Hegemon Parliament The Parliament of the Hegemony is the bicameral legislative body of Neo-Macedonia and is composed of the National Assembly and the Noble Conclave. The legislature makes the laws, and supervises the activities of the nation with a view to changing the laws when appropriate. Legislation can begin in any house of the Hegemon Parliament, but must be passed by both houses and signed by the Chancellor before it can become law. The only deviation from this process is through an Enabling Act that the Chancellor can use only four times during a one year session of Parliament to enable a piece of legislation without the consent of either house of parliament. The National Assembly The National Assembly is the Upper house of the Hegemon Parliament. The National Assembly holds a maximum number of 250 seats, open to officials from every political party within the Hegemony. The party that holds majority, that is the most delegates seated into the seat is considered the ruling party. Collectively the ruling party then elects from it's own ranks a member to serve as Chancellor. On legislative measures, once a bills has been presented an passed through the Noble Conclave, it is brought before the National Assembly for a final review. If passed by the National Assembly it is then automatically signed and put into law by the Chancellor. *For information on political parties within the Hegemony, see Political Parties of Neo-Macedonia The Noble Conclave The Noble Conclave is the lower house of the Hegemon Parliament. It is a small council made entirely of leading members of the several houses of nobility within the Holy Catholic Hegemony. It is a democratic council which sits in session to discuss matters of state. Though the Nobility of the Hegemony has limited executive powers over their respected provinces, they can only propose bills to take effect over the whole Hegemony itself. Once the measure has been discussed and passed by the Noble Conclave, it must be passed by the National Senate and signed by the Chancellor before it can become law *For information on the noble families of the Hegemony, please see Noble Families on Neo-Maceodnia Judicial Branch The Clergy Council Citing that all laws of the Hegemony are derived from the bible, church doctrine and national laws have little that differentiate one from the other. Therefore the church itself has been deemed by the state as the only body to properly interpreted the law and pass judgment. The churches main focus is the suppression of heresy and the preservation of the public. However, because of the awesome demands of the church on the state, it has create a separate branch to deal with the judicial problems of the Hegemony. The Clergy Council is a small group of four top ranking Bishops, appointed by the Cardinal to oversee all judicial proceeding. The Cardinal appoints an Archbishop to preside over of the Clergy Council. Hegemon Catholic Inquisition The Catholic Inquisition of the Hegemony is the right arm of the church and the state, ensuring strict adherence to church doctrine an thereby adherence to state law is kept. Having full authority and given top clearance by the state, they act as a national police force, ensuring internal safety and security while also continuing the fight against heresy. The inquisition is the hub of internal information an are the sworn protectors of both the state and the church. They are recognizable due to the long black trench coats they were, leaving many to simply refer to them as the "long coats." The head of this elite organization is the Grand Inquisitor who is nominated by the state but appointed only by the church. =Other Important Facts= The Economy of the Hegemony Currency of the Hegemony The Hegemony uses a currency know at Latinum. Latinum consists of a metallic material that is then encased in gold. The metallic material, whose actual name is classified, is molded into several different variations to form the different currency values. The different variations are Slips, Strips, Bars, and bricks. Now the standard units: * 10 slips = 1 strip * 10 strips = 1 bar * 10 bars = 1 brick Now as an example, if the exchange rate was 1 Latinum strip equals $1.65 US then: * 1 slip= $1.65 US * 1 Strip= $16.50 US * 1 Bar= $ 165.00 US * 1 Brick= $1,650 US Industry Though industrial advancement in the Hegemony has only begun to evolve since South Africa's transition into the Hegemony, the country has seen the birth of several strong companies, most of which deal in industries such as mining of platinum, gold, and chromium; automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textile such as iron and steel, chemical development, and fertilizer manufacturing. Agriculture Perhaps always considered the strongest sector of the country, the agricultural business has always been strong since the early days of the country when it was nothing more than a small principality. The most abundant products farmed in the Hegemony today are: Corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, and dairy products Exports Though foreign policy has always dictated since South Africans became Genesian Catholic, that the country only trade with other Genesian nations and not supply heretic nations, the Hegemony has little problem finding buyers for the products they produce. Most notable products are: Gold, diamonds, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment Imports Much like in exportation, the Hegemony continues a foreign policy that allows the country to import necessary materials only from countries that are Genesian Catholics. Though sometimes this can be difficult, the Hegemony has been able to safely secure the materials they need such as: Machinery, food stuffs and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, and scientific instruments Natural Resources The Hegemony, which is located in the South African Region of Africa is a beautiful country that is environmentally stunning and has many natural resources such as :Gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas Ethnic Groups of the Hegemony * Black Africans: 70% of the nations total populace. * white Africans/Americans/Asians/Europeans: 30% of the total populace Languages of the Hegemony *Official Language:Latin *Secondary Languages: Afrikaans, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swazi, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa, Zulu Religions of the Hegemony * Genesian Catholicism: 80% * Muslim : 9% * Hindu: 1% * Atheism and indigenous beliefs: 10% The Genesian Church of the Holy Catholic Hegemony Though sometimes referred to as a South African Catholic Church, the Genesian Catholic Church of the Hegemony is the official church of Neo-Macedonia. Grounded in the dogma and doctrine of Genesian Catholicism of Catholic Europe, it remains loyal to the Pope of Genesis City though one does not sit on it's thrown at this time. Likely any local church, the Genesian Catholic Church of the Hegemony is overseen by a Cardinal. It continues to spread the word of the gospel according the Genesian bible which views all over religion as heretical and still believes in burning heretics at the stake for their transgressions. -Current Genesian Catholic Primate: Cardinal Marcus Tilius Category:Holy Catholic Hegemony